FAQ & troubleshooting

Answers to common TaxNotice.ai questions: getting access, roles, deadlines, drafting and review gates, delivery proof, follow-up, and how your data is handled.

Last updated 2026-06-19

Common questions about working IRS notices in TaxNotice.ai, plus answers to the "why is this locked?" moments you'll hit along the way. For definitions, see the glossary; for the end-to-end flow, see the notice lifecycle.

Getting started & access

Can I sign up myself? Not yet. TaxNotice.ai is opening to a small group of founding firms before launch, so there's no self-serve sign-up. Request founding firm access to get started.

How do people get added to the firm? Your firm's Superadmin invites each team member and assigns their role. The invitation becomes active access only after the person accepts and signs in through your firm's authentication (Microsoft SSO).

How do I sign in? Through your firm's approved authentication. An invitation by itself doesn't grant access until you've signed in and your account is active.

Roles & permissions

Can one person be both a preparer and a partner? No — each person holds exactly one role at a time. To change what someone can do, the Superadmin changes their role.

Who can approve and sign a response? Only Partners. Approval and the typed signature are reserved for the partner role; see partner review.

Who can manage users? Only the Superadmin / Firm Owner. Partners, Case Administrators, and Case Preparers don't invite or manage users by default. See roles at a glance.

I changed a role but the old access still seems active. Role changes take effect promptly for navigation and sensitive actions. If a session looks stale, sign out and back in; sensitive actions are rechecked when they run.

Notices & deadlines

Does TaxNotice.ai calculate my deadlines? It suggests deadlines and priority from your firm's notice taxonomy and the notice's facts. Your firm confirms the facts — if the notice date is missing or unclear, the item stays in review rather than guessing. See deadlines and triage.

Which notices are supported? The notices your firm has configured in its notice taxonomy, each with its own deadline, priority, and response rules. See notice taxonomy & templates.

Drafting & review

Does the AI write my response or decide the tax position? No. TaxNotice.ai applies your approved templates and merges verified case facts, but your firm decides the facts, the position, and the final response that goes to the IRS.

Why is Start Drafting disabled? The drafting gate is still locked. Usually the evidence checklist has an unsatisfied critical item, or a required Power of Attorney (Form 2848) hasn't been recorded. The tab names the blocker. See gather evidence.

Why can't I submit for partner review? Submission stays blocked until the package passes validation and a reviewing partner is assigned. The submission checklist shows what's still open.

Can I edit a draft after I submit it? Submitting locks that version so the partner reviews the exact package that was handed off. If the partner requests a revision, the case returns to drafting and you rework and resubmit.

Delivery & follow-up

Is an approved package the same as a sent one? No. A case is Approved to Send when a partner signs off, and only becomes Sent to IRS once your team records real delivery proof.

How is delivery recorded? With method-specific proof: Certified Mail (sent date and tracking number), Fax (sent date and confirmation), or Phone Call (date, outcome, notes). Recording proof stops the pre-deadline reminders and starts monitoring. See delivery proof and follow-up.

What happens if the IRS doesn't respond? The case stays in Awaiting IRS Response while TaxNotice.ai watches the expected reply window. If the window passes with no reply, the case escalates for a follow-up contact. See follow-up & closeout.

Can I reopen a closed case? A closed case is read-only. It can be reopened through a formal reopen with a reason, which preserves the original history rather than overwriting it.

Data & security

Do you store our clients' Social Security numbers? Taxpayer identification numbers are masked in the interface, and full SSNs are never sent into model prompts.

Where are client evidence files stored? Generally in your existing system, such as ShareFile. TaxNotice.ai tracks the checklist state and where each document lives, rather than holding the files itself.

Who can see our firm's data? Access is role-based and scoped to your firm. Data is encrypted in storage, and your firm owns its data.

Still have questions?